Attack of the Clones Shows Up for ShoWest

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By Paul Davidson

True to his word, Rick McCallum was at the ShoWest exhibitors' convention in Las Vegas yesterday to discuss digital filming and production techniques with theater owners curious about this new paradigm in cinema. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones was, of course, entirely shot with digital video cameras and dispensed with the 35 mm celluloid usually used for filmmaking. Convention attendees were interested in the results of this new technology; and they were also interested, no doubt, in seeing what they can expect from George Lucas' second Star Wars prequel.So let's start with the technical aspects. Online indie cinema mag Film Threat reports that the quality of the clips shown was everything it had been cracked up to be and more.

"...featuring footage shot in different time and place settings, [the reel] showcased how these digital cameras could capture remarkable clarity, vibrancy, and detail in scenes of varying light, speed, and motion. Later in his presentation, McCallum further demonstrated the digital image¿s astounding quality by presenting a blow-up test where various Clones shots (including one really va-va-va-voom shot of Natalie Portman¿s Queen Amidala wearing a figure-hugging corset-like top) are magnified up to 300%; while some distortion was apparent in some of the images by the 150-200% mark, the clarity still astonished."

Not bad for a fledgling technology. Readers must keep in mind that this is how the footage looks when a digital projector is used. Regular theaters, of course, still use conventional 35 mm projectors, so some image sharpness and vibrancy will be lost when the movie is transferred to film reels. And then there's the footage itself &#Array; our first chance to see what Lucasfilm and ILM have been cooking up for us. Included in the presentation were a large number of disjointed and soundless clips from various spots in the movie. These scenes included effects shots of planets, spaceships, and planetary vistas. Many sequences also included mind-blowing excerpts from various fighting and action scenes. Warning: spoilers to follow.

"...a rain-drenched battle between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett atop the aforementioned floating building is joined in progress. Shots fired by Jango are deflected by Obi-Wan¿s light saber. Obi-Wan kicks Jango off of the building only to have the tables quickly reversed, for Jango caught him with his grappling hook; Obi-Wan falls along with him, and soon Jango flies away and literally leaves him dangling. Meanwhile, a very young Boba Fett fires up the ignition on the Slave-1 ship."More random quiet¿Anakin cruises the Tatooine desert, meets up with some Jawas; Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Yoda have a Jedi-to-Jedi confab [which] is followed by another elaborate action scene. A bridge retracts from underneath the feet of Anakin and Amidala, and she falls onto the conveyor belt of what appears to be one big factory assembly line. Anakin jumps onto the belt and does his light saber magic on the robots manning the line as well as some malevolent flying creatures. Amidala crafitly dodges a rather large press on the assembly line, only to then get into a struggle with one of the flying creatures, who overpowers her and tosses her into a silo of some sort. More action images &#Array; Anakin in a big lightsaber duel with an unknown figure; Yoda employing some Emperor-like electrical powers..."

For all those Star Wars fans itching to see Yoda employ his immense powers in combat &#Array; your wish is granted! Ain't It Cool News had its own review of some memorable shots, including the Yoda bit.

"Yoda apparently (at least, from what I could glean from the coupla seconds they showed of this scene) catching blue lightening [sic] in his hand, holding it and then blasting it right back at its creator. I'm sure the scene has to do with Yoda's showdown with Count Dooku at the end."

There were also shots of a completed C-3PO; R2-D2 assembling a tray of food at an alien caf¿; Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan (Leia's to-be surrogate father); a holographic combat sequence; and a few Anakin-Amidala romantic moments.Film Threat also posted a summary of the new "Clone War" trailer, screened at the end of McCallum's presentation.

"After a slow start in The Phantom Menace, the story of this Star Wars trilogy appears to kick into high gear with the latest film. Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) declares that he 'will not let this republic split in two,' to which Mace Windu replies that there aren¿t enough Jedi to protect the Republic. Palpatine¿s solution is to assemble an army of clones created by Jango Fett, which naturally leads to chaos and destruction best summed up by the trailer¿s final line, delivered by Yoda: 'Begun this clone war has.' Meanwhile, Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan grow concerned over Anakin, whose increasing power as a Jedi has made him reckless and arrogant. But those qualities don't weaken Amidala¿s attraction to him, and they embark a forbidden affair."

McCallum, was cool, confident, and cocky as the presentation ended, claiming that everyone exhibiting the film was going to make, well, a lot of dough. ¿We didn¿t want to push the envelope; we wanted to lick it.¿ From what we hear, they've accomplished that.